Regional News Briefs

Race to replace Hines on council is crowded

At least four people have announced their intention to run for the 15th Aldermanic District seat formerly held by Willie Hines.

If a primary is needed, it will be held April 1. The special election will be held April 29.

The four people who have filed campaign registration statements and declared their candidacy with the Milwaukee Election Commission are: County Supervisors Eyon Biddle Sr. and Russell Stamper II; Deshea Agee, an economic development specialist with the Department of City Development; and Patricia Ruiz.

The four and possibly more are running to fill the unexpired term of Hines, the former Common Council president who resigned to take a position as associate director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. The term ends April 2016.

The circulation of nomination papers is already underway. The papers must be filed by 5 p.m. March 4.

Bridge work to close ramps overnight

Construction work near Miller Park that includes installing a new bridge deck on the Wisconsin Ave. bridge at the Stadium Interchange will fully close some highway ramps on several evenings this week.

Overnight closures are scheduled from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and began Tuesday evening. Closures include:

■The entrance ramps from I-94 east and west to northbound U.S. 41

■The Wisconsin Ave. entrance ramp from southbound U.S. 41

■The exit ramp from northbound U.S. 41 to Wisconsin Ave.

■The I-94 entrance and exit ramps at Mitchell Blvd.

■The Vliet/State St. entrance ramp to U.S. 41

Demolition of the bridge will take place in the overnight hours of Thursday, Friday and Monday, and both northbound and southbound U.S. 41 will close, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Man accused of punching woman, 72

Tyrone A. Smith, 37, became angry at a woman who was playing pool at the Bourbon Street Lounge, accusing her of taking his turn at the pool table. He confronted her until she left the table, but he followed her and then allegedly punched her in the face before running out of the bar, the paper said.

Smith is charged with aggravated battery of an elderly person, repeat offender, a felony that could land him six years in prison.

Judge bars man from Internet over sex ads

A judge is banning a Waterford man from the Internet as part of his sentence for posting Craigslist ads asking people to have sex with his unsuspecting neighbor, the Racine Journal Times reports.

Racine County Circuit Judge Allan "Pat" Torhorst called the actions of Jason T. Willis, 31, "unconscionable" in sentencing him to 2 1/2 years of probation.

The Journal Times reports that one man showed up at the neighbor's door wearing a coat — and nothing else.

Worker struck while flagging traffic

A utility worker in Kenosha County was seriously injured Tuesday when he was struck by a vehicle while flagging traffic in the Town of Salem, the sheriff's office said.

The worker was struck shortly after 1 p.m. in the 7600 block of County Highway B (288th Ave.), according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The man suffered head and leg injuries and was flown by helicopter to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, according to the release.

Swine disease prompts precautions at fairs

The spread of a deadly communicable disease in hogs prompted the state veterinarian on Tuesday to issue a ban on all spring weigh-ins for county fairs.

Paul McGraw of the state agriculture department also recommended that swine shows be held only for pigs not returning to their farms of origin.

Wisconsin has confirmed six cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Nationally, the officials reported the highest weekly jump since the disease was discovered in the United States in April 2013.

DNR gives firm OK for iron ore mine sampling

Gogebic Taconite can proceed with plans to remove bulk quantities of rock from a proposed iron ore mining site this winter.

The Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday that no other approvals for the sampling are necessary. The company will use existing roads for access to dig up the rock in Iron County, where Gogebic is proposing to construct an open pit mine and processing plant.

The work in winter on frozen roads should reduce the chance of erosion and sedimentation of local waterways, the DNR said.

The sample rock will help the company evaluate future equipment purchases to process the rock in taconite pellets. The company must still get approval from the DNR to build the mine.